“God will provide for that.”
The CEO cleared his throat again. “This precept of the heifer is the deepest mystery of the Torah. Even King Solomon couldn’t understand it. But the greatness of Israel is our ability to follow God’s laws even when they make no sense to us. It is a merit of faith and will bring Israel’s final redemption.”
It is a merit of stupidity to do something that makes no sense, she thought, but didn’t say it.
A lighter flicked open followed by a fresh wave of cigar smoke. The CEO puffed heartily and coughed. “It’s not necessary you share our beliefs. You are an indecipherable gift from God.”
“I don’t even believe in God. I’m not working for you or your Divine Dabbler, got it?”
“God chose you before time began.”
Didn’t Hassan say he was protecting her because of some special heritage? “I’m not buying my whole specialness, okay? I’m not going to work for killers and crazies. Let me go or kill me.”
The CEO continued as if she’d never spoken. “Over two thousand years ago, in the time of the Second Temple, there was need for a heifer. The ninth in history. Our rabbis found one such perfect animal belonging to a Gentile named Dama ben Natina. He was a good and honorable man. When he supplied Israel with her needs, the rabbis blessed him, saying when the time was right, another heifer would be provided by his family.”
The mask on her face made her skin damp and itchy. She was scared and worried about Hassan and she didn’t know what they had planned for David. “So, two thousand years ago a Gentile coughed up your goods. Just because I’m a gentile, it doesn’t mean jack.”
The CEO drew a deep breath. “Although Jews have been persecuted and murdered throughout history, certain rabbis have guarded the records of our faith. Many records have been lost or destroyed. But we know Dama ben Natina’s blood is in your veins. It is no coincidence you are poised in this time to deliver the heifer.”
“That’s plain nuts. You can’t possibly have traced us through two millennia.”
“It is possible and we have done it, praise the Lord of our Fathers,” the CEO said.
“Besides, I’m pretty sure no one in my father’s family would have helped a Jew to do anything but die.”
“It’s true, your father has not been cooperative,” the CEO said.
They’d contacted her father? When? She sat straighter, turned her masked face toward the CEO and said, “Cram your myths and campfire ghost stories. I don’t believe them and I won’t work for you.”
The CEO heaved a sigh. “We thought that might be the case.”
“Good,” she said. “No surprises then. Why not show me and David to the door and we’ll be on our way.”
David gave her hand another warning squeeze. “Please, Annie.”
The CEO’s voice hardened. “No, your attitude does not surprise us. However, we are adamant that you continue your research and give us the perfect heifer. So we’ve added a little incentive.”
“I don’t want anything you can give me,” she said.
“I didn’t want to resort to this. But you have forced our hand.”
There was a scrape of chairs on the hard floor and people approached her. Hands grabbed at her upper arms and pulled her back, nearly tripping her on her chair. She staggered to her feet as the two men pulled her away from the table.
Now is when they’ll beat me with a garden hose or pull out my fingernails.
They dragged her across the floor. With the mask on her face she was disoriented and clumsy and worst of all, scared. Air rushed across her skin as the door opened and she was pushed through it. They pulled her down the hall a few steps, shoved her through another door. She stumbled and, before she could right herself, someone whipped the mask from her head. She whirled around in time to see the door slam shut.
TEN
She blinked, trying to focus her eyes after wearing the hot mask for so long. No furniture graced this
The CEO cleared his throat again. “This precept of the heifer is the deepest mystery of the Torah. Even King Solomon couldn’t understand it. But the greatness of Israel is our ability to follow God’s laws even when they make no sense to us. It is a merit of faith and will bring Israel’s final redemption.”
It is a merit of stupidity to do something that makes no sense, she thought, but didn’t say it.
A lighter flicked open followed by a fresh wave of cigar smoke. The CEO puffed heartily and coughed. “It’s not necessary you share our beliefs. You are an indecipherable gift from God.”
“I don’t even believe in God. I’m not working for you or your Divine Dabbler, got it?”
“God chose you before time began.”
Didn’t Hassan say he was protecting her because of some special heritage? “I’m not buying my whole specialness, okay? I’m not going to work for killers and crazies. Let me go or kill me.”
The CEO continued as if she’d never spoken. “Over two thousand years ago, in the time of the Second Temple, there was need for a heifer. The ninth in history. Our rabbis found one such perfect animal belonging to a Gentile named Dama ben Natina. He was a good and honorable man. When he supplied Israel with her needs, the rabbis blessed him, saying when the time was right, another heifer would be provided by his family.”
The mask on her face made her skin damp and itchy. She was scared and worried about Hassan and she didn’t know what they had planned for David. “So, two thousand years ago a Gentile coughed up your goods. Just because I’m a gentile, it doesn’t mean jack.”
The CEO drew a deep breath. “Although Jews have been persecuted and murdered throughout history, certain rabbis have guarded the records of our faith. Many records have been lost or destroyed. But we know Dama ben Natina’s blood is in your veins. It is no coincidence you are poised in this time to deliver the heifer.”
“That’s plain nuts. You can’t possibly have traced us through two millennia.”
“It is possible and we have done it, praise the Lord of our Fathers,” the CEO said.
“Besides, I’m pretty sure no one in my father’s family would have helped a Jew to do anything but die.”
“It’s true, your father has not been cooperative,” the CEO said.
They’d contacted her father? When? She sat straighter, turned her masked face toward the CEO and said, “Cram your myths and campfire ghost stories. I don’t believe them and I won’t work for you.”
The CEO heaved a sigh. “We thought that might be the case.”
“Good,” she said. “No surprises then. Why not show me and David to the door and we’ll be on our way.”
David gave her hand another warning squeeze. “Please, Annie.”
The CEO’s voice hardened. “No, your attitude does not surprise us. However, we are adamant that you continue your research and give us the perfect heifer. So we’ve added a little incentive.”
“I don’t want anything you can give me,” she said.
“I didn’t want to resort to this. But you have forced our hand.”
There was a scrape of chairs on the hard floor and people approached her. Hands grabbed at her upper arms and pulled her back, nearly tripping her on her chair. She staggered to her feet as the two men pulled her away from the table.
Now is when they’ll beat me with a garden hose or pull out my fingernails.
They dragged her across the floor. With the mask on her face she was disoriented and clumsy and worst of all, scared. Air rushed across her skin as the door opened and she was pushed through it. They pulled her down the hall a few steps, shoved her through another door. She stumbled and, before she could right herself, someone whipped the mask from her head. She whirled around in time to see the door slam shut.
TEN
She blinked, trying to focus her eyes after wearing the hot mask for so long. No furniture graced this
Similar Books
